I will remember 2009 as the year I discovered Wendell Berry. My only regret is that I don't seem to be able to slow down enough to read him as slowly as he deserves to be read. Here's another excerpt (from Jayber Crow):
One Saturday evening, while Troy was still awaiting his turn in the [barber] chair, the subject was started and Troy said--it was about the third thing he said--"They ought to round up every one of them sons of bitches and put them right in front of the damned communists, and then whoever killed who, it would all be to the good."
There was a pause after that. Nobody wanted to try to top it.
It was hard to do, but I quit cutting hair and looked at Troy. I said, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you."
Troy jerked his head up and widened his eyes at me. "Where did you get that crap?"
I said, "Jesus Christ."
And Troy said, "Oh."
It would have been a great moment in the history of Christianity except that I did not love Troy.
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